The amnesic stroke refers to a memory disorder that occurs suddenly and lasts only a few hours, hence its other name transient global amnesia. It affects antegrade memory and therefore the ability to form new memories after the onset of amnesia. The amnesic stroke is a sudden and traumatic disorder for the affected person and for those around him, but benign: it resolves spontaneously in a few hours, without specific treatment, does not leave any sequelae, and the risk of recurrence is low. Its incidence worldwide is estimated at between 3 and 10 cases per year and per 100 people. But within the subpopulation aged 000 and over, it can exceed 50 cases per year and per 30 people. (100) v

The person with an amnesic stroke and therefore anterograde amnesia is unable to register new information and remember events that follow the sudden onset of amnesia. She finds herself plunged into a state of spatio-temporal disorientation and in the grip of anxiety, repeating the same questions: what day is it? Why am I in the emergency room? etc. Transient global amnesia is sometimes accompanied by headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms sometimes make people around you fear a stroke.

Amnesia is isolated. It is not accompanied by an impairment of cognitive abilities: the affected person does not suffer from any disturbance of consciousness, language or motor skills, they remain alert and attentive to external stimuli, able to reason and perform tasks. complex such as driving a vehicle. Likewise, the amnesic stroke is not accompanied by an epileptic manifestation. The victim will come out of this “memory hole” without memory of the event, but unharmed, a few hours after the onset of the amnesic stroke and up to a maximum of 24 hours. In reality, antegrade memory impairment can persist for months, but it is minor and by no means disabling.

The origin of the amnesic stroke is not formally identified, but there are several hypotheses as to the possible causes: ischemia in the region of the hippocampus (leading to a lack of oxygenation) is the path now favored by researchers. , relegating to the background the previous hypotheses, without ruling them out, of an epileptic or migraine phenomenon. Finally, it is not excluded that this is a purely psychological element, the victims being often subject to anxiety and more often affected during periods of overwork. (2)

Different factors have been identified as triggers for amnesic stroke: intense psychological or physical stress, sexual intercourse and even swimming in cold water (not exhaustive). Amnesic stroke particularly exposes people aged between 40 and 80 years, with a peak frequency between 60 and 70 years. It strikes men and women alike.

There is no specific treatment for stroke amnesia as it resolves spontaneously within a few hours. Recurrence is relatively infrequent, with the annual risk of recurrence being in the order of 2-3% (3).